Portable Battery Booster

ABSTRACT

A portable battery booster for providing a compact, light, and energy efficient battery to jump start a vehicle. The portable battery booster generally includes a housing, a battery means adapted to be received by the housing, a pair of cable means, each of the cable means having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end electrically connected to the battery means and the distal end detachably connected to a discharged battery of the vehicle. The battery is generally comprised of one or more batteries having the type of primary lithium-metal, rechargeable lithium-ion, and/or lithium-polymer and more specifically preferably comprised of lithium iron phosphate for fast charging, small size, and high performance. The battery may also be connected to one or more supercapacitors, an internal CPU, DC/DC converter, etc. to increase performance. The cable means includes jaws that detachably connect to the housing in a flush and sleek manner.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to, and is a continuation-in-part ofco-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/884,340, having a filing date ofSep. 17, 2010, (U.S. Publication No. 2012/0068662), which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a battery booster and morespecifically it relates to a portable battery booster for efficientlyproviding a compact, light, and energy efficient battery to jump start avehicle.

Description of the Related Art

Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should inno way be considered as an admission that such related art is widelyknown or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.

Battery boosters have also been around for many years and are generallyutilized to provide power to a vehicle battery for starting the vehiclein cases where the vehicle battery is substantially drained.Conventional battery boosters generally lose a charge over time, thusforcing the user to continually purchase new battery boosters, which canbe expensive. In addition, conventional battery boosters are generallylarge, bulky, and heavy. Because of the inherent problems with therelated art, there is a need for a new and improved portable batterybooster for efficiently providing a compact, light, and energy efficientreserve activated battery to jump start a vehicle.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system for efficiently providing a compact, light, and energyefficient battery to jump start a vehicle. The invention generallyrelates to a reserve battery which includes a housing, a battery meansadapted to be received by the housing, a pair of cable means, each ofthe cable means having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal endelectrically connected to the battery means and the distal enddetachably connected to a discharged battery of the vehicle. The batteryis generally comprised of one or more batteries having the type ofprimary lithium-metal, rechargeable lithium-ion, and/or lithium-polymerand more specifically preferably comprised of lithium iron phosphate forfast charging, small size, and high performance. The battery may also beconnected to one or more supercapacitors, an internal CPU, DC/DCconverter, etc. to increase performance. The cable means includes jawsthat detachably connect to the housing in a flush and sleek manner.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, some of the features ofthe invention in order that the detailed description thereof may bebetter understood, and in order that the present contribution to the artmay be better appreciated. There are additional features of theinvention that will be described hereinafter and that will form thesubject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, beforeexplaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is tobe understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction or to the arrangements of the components setforth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Theinvention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced andcarried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of thedescription and should not be regarded as limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the presentinvention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes betterunderstood when considered in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which like reference characters designate the same orsimilar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of the present invention with theclamps connected to the housing.

FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view of the present invention with theclamps disconnected to the housing.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary electrical diagram of a first embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary electrical diagram of a second embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary electrical diagram of a third embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar referencecharacters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1through 5 illustrate a portable battery booster 10, which comprises ahousing, a battery cell(s) 41 adapted to be received by the housing 20,a pair of cable means 30, each of the cable means 30 having a proximalend 31 and a distal end 32, the proximal end 31 electrically connectedto the battery cells 41 and the distal end 32 detachably connected to adischarged battery of the vehicle (e.g. automobile, boat, recreationalvehicle, motorcycle, etc.), the vehicle battery generally being aconventional 12.7 volt battery; however different voltage batteries maybe appreciated. The battery pack 40 generally includes one or more cells41 having the type of primary lithium-metal, rechargeable lithium-ion,and/or lithium-polymer and more specifically preferably comprised oflithium iron phosphate for fast charging, small size, and highperformance. The battery pack 40 may also be connected to one or moresupercapacitors 60, an internal CPU 50, DC/DC converter 70, etc. toincrease performance.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the mechanical structure of the presentinvention. The housing 20 is generally comprised of an injection moldedplastic material being of a generally rectangular shape with roundedcorners and having a substantially flat top 21, substantially flatbottom 22, and sides 23. The housing 20 is further generally sleek instructure, thus being relatively thin as compared to conventionalbooster systems. More particular, in the preferred embodiment, thehousing 20 generally has a width of approximately 6 inches, a height ofapproximately 1.5 inches, and a depth of approximately 4.5 inches. Othersizes may be appreciated all which employ the sleek structure making thehousing 20 portable, lightweight, and adaptable to various storagesituations.

The housing 20 also generally includes slots 24 along a rear end ofopposing sides 23 for receiving the proximal end 31 of the cables 33(positive and negative cables) and a retaining element 25 spacedlaterally from the sides 23 of the forward end of the housing 20 forreceiving the jaws 36 c, 38 c of the clamps 34. The housing 20 mayfurther include a recharge port 27 for charging the battery pack 40, theport 27 being electrically connected to the cells 41 of the battery pack40. The housing 20 may further employ a pivotal handle 28 for carrying,wherein the handle 28 is received within a slot 29 of the housing 20.The handle 28 may also serve as a stand or support.

The cable means 30 generally includes the cables 31 electricallyconnected to the battery pack 40 for transferring power and a clamp 33connected to each cable 33 forming the distal end 32. Generally, a pairof clamps 33 are utilized, one for positive and one for negative(ground). The clamp 34 includes a first section 35 and a second section37, the first section 35 pivotally connected to the second section 37near a longitudinal and lateral center pivot point 39 of the clamp 34,each section 35, 37 having an integral jaw 36 c, 38 c and handle 36 a,38 a being comprised of a plastic injection molded structure, and eachjaw 36 c, 38 c having copper clamping teeth 36 d, 38 d electricallyconnected to the cable 33 and battery pack 40. The handles 36 a, 38 amay include gripping means, such as gnp indentations 36 b, 38 b, formore easily maneuvering and operating the clamp 34. The exterior contourof the clamps 34 also generally includes rounded ends to follow theshape of the housing 20. The upper surface of the clamp 34 along theupper section 35 and the lower surface of the clamp 34 along the lowersection 37 are generally flat and when the clamp 34 is detachablyconnected to the retainer element 25 of the housing 20, the uppersurface and the lower surface of the clamp 34 is flush and parallel withthe upper surface and the lower surface of the housing 20 as illustratedin FIG. 1.

The power supply of the present invention is generally comprised of abattery pack 40 having a plurality of battery cells 41 electricallyconnected for transferring power to the cables 33 to provide power tothe discharged battery of the vehicle. The battery pack 40 is generallydetachably connected to the housing 20 within an inner chamber 26. Thebattery pack 40 may be completely contained within the housing 20 or theinner chamber 26 be comprised of an indentation in the housing 20 andthus the battery pack 40 having exterior walls that integrally followthe exterior shape of the housing 20 and form an exterior surface (i.e.be flush with the exterior of the housing 20). Alternately, a pluralityof battery cells 41 may be separately inserted and contained within thehousing 20.

The battery cells 41 are generally small in size, thus allowing for thehousing 20 to be small in size. Generally, each of the battery cells 41employs a 26 mm×65 mm size, thus being substantially small so that thehousing 20 may maintain a slim profile. The battery cells 41 aregenerally comprised of a primary lithium-metal type, a rechargeablelithium-ion type, and/or a lithium-polymer type. A preferably type ofthe battery cell 41 is a lithium iron phosphate (LiFeP04) type thusallowing for fast charging, small in size, and having high performance.In one embodiment, four cells 41 meet the specifications of a DOW-KOKAMcell being SLPB 9543140H5. Other embodiment includes an OMNICEL ER18505HD lithium thionyl chloride cell and cells manufactured by A123SYSTEMS, such as A123 ANR26650M1A. In further alternate embodiments, thecells 41 may include rechargeable battery cells combined with primary(non rechargeable) battery cells to enhance the overall performance ofthe batteries. Alternately, or additionally, the present invention mayemploy a hybrid system wherein the battery cells 41 may be combined withone or more supercapacitors 60 to store energy and provide quick joltsof power to the discharged battery. Alternately, a reserve batterycell(s) 41 may be utilized, such as a reserve battery that requiresmanual activation prior to use.

Additionally, the present invention generally employs a heat sink thatuses minimal space and is light weight to maintain battery surfacetemperature that does not exceed 50 degrees Celsius during operation.Additionally, a wiring harness to individually connect each of thebattery cells 41 is utilized. Further, an electronic circuit board thatuses minimal space and is light weight is used to protect the batterycells 41 by providing features such as detecting a shorted load,preventing electric current from flowing through the terminals and intothe lithium ion battery stack, detecting a low lithium ion batteryvoltage and not allowing discharge and related safety and performancefeatures.

FIGS. 3 through 5 illustrates exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention. In FIG. 3, a plurality of battery cells 41 are controlled viaa central processing unit (CPU 50) located within the housing 20 and thestarter current from the battery cells 41 is delivered to the clamps 34for powering the discharged battery, the battery cells 41 beingcomprised of a LiFeP04 type. In FIG. 4, a supercapacitor 60 (SuperCap)receives charge current from a DC/DC converter 70 that is controlled viathe CPU 50, all within the housing 20. The SuperCap 60 is able toprovide a jolt of power to the discharged battery through the clamps 34.A disadvantage to the configuration in FIG. 4 is that the unit must becharged before each usage since the SuperCap 60 has a high leakagecurrent. A hybrid system, as shown in FIG. 5, illustrates a plurality ofLiFeP04 battery cells 41 connected to a DC/DC converter 70 whichprovides charge current to a SuperCap 60 that provides starter currentto the discharged battery through the clamps 34.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materialssimilar to or equivalent to those described herein can be used in thepractice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods andmaterials are described above. All publications, patent applications,patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated byreference in their entirety to the extent allowed by applicable law andregulations. In case of conflict, the present specification, includingdefinitions, will control. The present invention may be embodied inother specific forms without departing from the spirit or essentialattributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the presentembodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive. Any headings utilized within the description are forconvenience only and have no legal or limiting effect.

1. A portable battery booster for boosting a discharged battery of amotor vehicle, the portable battery booster comprising: a compacthousing defining a chamber having a recharge port positioned thereon; alithium battery positioned within said chamber; a DC/DC converter toreceive a DC current from a power source and to provide a first chargingcurrent to said lithium battery; a supercapacitor positioned within saidchamber, wherein said lithium battery is configured to provide a secondcharging current to said supercapacitor; and a processor positionedwithin said chamber to selectively provide a starter current from saidsupercapacitor to the discharged battery via a pair of cables.
 2. Theportable battery booster of claim 1, wherein each of said pair of cablescomprises a proximal end and a distal end having a clamp to detachablycouple to a terminal of said discharged battery.
 3. The portable batterybooster of claim 2, wherein said clamp comprises a plastic injectionmolded structure and metal clamping teeth.
 4. The portable batterybooster of claim 3, wherein said clamp detachably connects to saidcompact housing when not in use.
 5. The portable battery booster ofclaim 1, wherein said lithium battery is a lithium iron phosphatebattery or a lithium-polymer battery.
 6. The portable battery booster ofclaim 1, wherein said processor is configured to selectively provide thefirst charging current to said lithium battery.
 7. The portable batterybooster of claim 1, wherein said compact housing is a generallyrectangular shape.
 8. The portable battery booster of claim 1, furthercomprising a low voltage circuit to detect a low voltage condition forsaid lithium battery, wherein said processor does not provide thestarter current to the discharged battery via the pair of cables whensaid low voltage circuit detects a low voltage condition.
 9. Theportable battery booster of claim 1, further comprising a shorted loadcircuit to detect a shorted load condition across said pair of cables,wherein said processor does not provide the starter current to thedischarged battery via the pair of cables when said shorted load circuitdetects a shorted load condition.
 10. A portable battery booster forboosting a discharged battery of a motor vehicle, the portable batterybooster comprising: a compact housing defining a chamber having arecharge port positioned thereon; a lithium battery positioned withinsaid chamber; a supercapacitor positioned within said chamber; a DC/DCconverter to receive a DC current from a power source and to provide afirst charging current to said lithium battery; and a processorpositioned within said chamber to selectively provide a starter currentfrom said lithium battery or said supercapacitor to the dischargedbattery via a pair of cables.
 11. The portable battery booster of claim11, wherein said lithium battery is configured to provide a secondcharging current to said supercapacitor.
 12. The portable batterybooster of claim 11, wherein said processor is configured to provide thestarter current from said supercapacitor to the discharged battery viathe pair of cables.
 13. The portable battery booster of claim 10,wherein each of said pair of cables comprises a proximal end and adistal end having a clamp to detachably couple to a terminal of saiddischarged battery.
 14. The portable battery booster of claim 13,wherein said clamp comprises a plastic injection molded structure andmetal clamping teeth.
 15. The portable battery booster of claim 14,wherein said clamp detachably connects to said compact housing when notin use.
 16. The portable battery booster of claim 10, wherein saidlithium battery is a lithium iron phosphate battery or a lithium-polymerbattery.
 17. The portable battery booster of claim 10, wherein saidprocessor is configured to selectively provide the first chargingcurrent to said lithium battery.
 18. The portable battery booster ofclaim 11, wherein said processor is configured to selectively providethe second charging current to said supercapacitor.
 19. The portablebattery booster of claim 10, wherein said compact housing is a generallyrectangular shape having a length, a depth, and a width, wherein each ofsaid length, said depth, and said width are less than or equal to 6inches.
 20. The portable battery booster of claim 10, further comprisinga low voltage circuit to detect a low voltage condition for said lithiumbattery, wherein said processor does not provide the starter current tothe discharged battery via the pair of cables when said low voltagecircuit detects a low voltage condition.
 21. The portable batterybooster of claim 10, further comprising a shorted load circuit to detecta shorted load condition across said pair of cables, wherein saidprocessor does not provide the starter current to the discharged batteryvia the pair of cables when said shorted load circuit detects a shortedload condition.
 22. A portable battery booster for boosting a dischargedbattery of a motor vehicle, the portable battery booster comprising: acompact housing defining a chamber having a recharge port positionedthereon; a battery positioned within said chamber; a DC/DC converter toreceive a DC current from a power source and to provide a first chargingcurrent to said battery; a supercapacitor positioned within said chamberand coupled to said battery, wherein said battery is configured toprovide a second charging current to said supercapacitor; a processorpositioned within said chamber to selectively provide a starter currentfrom said supercapacitor to the discharged battery via a pair of cables;and a shorted load circuit to detect a shorted load condition acrosssaid pair of cables, wherein said processor prohibits supply of thestarter current to the discharged battery via the pair of cables whensaid shorted load circuit detects a shorted load condition.